A VOLCANO expert who caught the biking bug in Japan has followed his dream by opening a cycling shop in Denbigh.

James Ashworth has put a career as a volcanologist on hold to open Kazoku – Japanese for family – Cycles on Denbigh’s Bridge Street.

He puts much of his decision down to the success of Wales’s first ever Tour De France winner, Geraint Thomas, who clinched cycling’s blue riband event in Paris in July to inspire a new generation of cyclists.

James, from Holywell, chose Denbigh after checking a popular cycling website, Strava, and finding that the Vale of Clwyd town was at the heart of many popular road and mountain biking routes.

They include the 'Road To Hell' which starts in Denbigh and climbs a thousand feet to Llyn Brenig and it’s also close to centres of excellence for mountain, trail, BMX and dirt jump biking.

"Denbigh is such a busy town and it has a great variety of shops here and of course it’s at the epicentre of a booming cycling area," James said.

"I didn’t get seriously into cycling until I went to Japan to study volcanology. It is really popular there and pretty much everyone has a bike, there are great facilities and the countryside is fantastic.

"I helped form a cycling club for foreign nationals over there (Cycling Kyoto) and it’s still going strong and has hundreds of members.

“It was quicker to learn than to try to explain to a Japanese bike mechanic what was wrong with my machine and I ended up repairing the bikes of friends and fellow club members."

It’s a skill that’s standing him in good stead. He said: "At this stage the business is more about repairs but I do sell a couple of different makes of bikes as well and I can put new bikes together so they’re ready to ride for Christmas.

"I wanted to create the same sort of club atmosphere I’d enjoyed in Japan so I combine the work on the bikes with a café where people can call in and enjoy some coffee and cake and have a chat.

"A lot of those who do come in are cyclists so it’s a good place to find out what the latest trends are and what people are looking for and it keeps me in touch with the cycling scene.

"You learn as you go along of course and there have been no shortage of teething problems but nothing we can’t handle!

“The business is just myself and my girlfriend (when she is around to help out!) for the moment and it’s really all about getting established and getting known but I do want to try and cultivate that club atmosphere."

Kazoku Cycles combines repairs and equipment sales with being a coffee shop and an informal hub for cyclists of all kinds.

Denbighshire County Council say it is the kind of unique enterprise that their #lovelivelocal campaign aims to promote as part of the diverse shopping experience available on the county’s high streets.

The project is centred on the busy run-up to Christmas and sees James and other retailers across the county featured on a series of videos on social media to praise the quality and variety of shops in Denbighshire.